The same afternoon the guards in the streets and on the ramparts were doubled; on the following morning the gates of the city were closed, powder and bullets were distributed among the city train-bands, who were bidden to be in readiness when the alarm bell called them, and cavalry was massed on the environs of the city.
For his practical political service was to act as an alarm-bell.
The lack of this basic human decency in their comments sent alarm bell ringing in my head.
I sounded an alarm bell against resurgent Japanese nationalism some years ago.